Water sprites: diverse wetlands rub shoulders in Michigan.(THIS LAND)(Rose Lake Wildlife Research Center)

Publication: Natural History

Publication Date: 01-JUL-08

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Natural History Magazine, Inc.

In 1938, the Michigan Department of Conservation purchased 765 acres of farmland, swampland, and small lakes about twelve miles northeast of Lansing, and the Rose Lake Wildlife Experiment Station was established. Additional land has been added since to make a total of 4,140 acres of diverse habitats. It is now known as the Rose Lake Wildlife Research Center. Operated by the Wildlife Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the property is managed for a variety of purposes, including research, education, and conservation. Hunting is permitted in designated areas during the hunting season (generally September 15 through March 31); other recreational uses are hiking, biking, and target practice.

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To make the area more attractive to wild birds, beginning in the mid-1940s the upland areas (most of which had been woodlands before being cut down) were planted with autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, European highbush cranberry, and other non-native berry-producing shrubs. Since...

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